Best Sugar Cookies

NOTES

• I should have posted these when I made them - for Halloween! But Christmas is nearly here and sugar cookies are something I can't go without (of course, I'll use the appropriate color scheme).
• These are sooooooooooo good. The trick is to just barely baking them. Take them out before the edges start to even get a little golden and the bottoms are maybe just a tiny bit golden - they will still be white on top. Then let them cool just for a minute on the pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Do not overcoook! Watch them closely.
• Double or triple the recipe if you want extras or a few to give away.
• Sugar cookie recipe modified from a Land o Lakes recipe and frosting is modified from a recipe found on allrecipes.com
• For those cooking at a high altitude like myself, I used 1 tbsp less butter and 1-2 tbsp less sugar. Found that this helps the cookies from spreading too much. Chilling for half hour or so before rolling out also helps.
• These cookies freeze nicely, both frosted and unfrosted.

INGREDIENTS - COOKIES

• 1 c. butter, softened
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 c. all-p flour
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

INGREDIENTS - FROSTING
(this recipe will make enough frosting for a double batch of the cookies above)

• 4. c powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 c. butter (or shortening as in the original recipe)
• Little cream or milk (2-5 tbsp), add slowly
• Food coloring of choice

DIRECTIONS - COOKIES

1. Heat oven to 375°F (I cook at 385 for high altitude). Combine butter and sugars in a large bowl mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour, cream of tartar and baking soda; beat at low speed until dough forms a ball.
2. Chill dough for 30 minutes to make it easier to roll out then roll out on a well-floured surface to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with desired cookie cutter and move (nudging a floured metal spatula underneath if necessary) and place on an ungreased cookie sheets. Bake around 5-8minutes (see my second bullet point above for directions on how to cook to perfection).

DIRECTIONS - FROSTING
1. Frost cookies once they've cooled.
2. Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy.
3 Gradually mix in vanilla and a tbsp of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached (aim for a thicker frosting - it should not fall off a spoon when turned upside down).
4. Mix until smooth and stiff, about 5 min. Add desired food coloring, a few drops at a time. Let cookies sit out in a single layer (cover lightly with foil or plastic wrap) for a few hours while the frosting hardens a bit. Then you can place them in a container, placing wax paper between layers.